This winter the lifts at Hochstein in Austria are closed. For locals, the ski area closure is a catastrophe, but for the operator it is “logical”.
Lienz – A explosive decision in the Austrian Alps. The winter season at Hochstein in Lienz is completely canceled. There is bewilderment, anger and disappointment in the region. The Ski World Cup took place here in 2021, but now the Alpine resort is facing a catastrophe.
Winter disaster ski resort in Tyrol: Hochstein ski area remains closed for the entire season
The problem: Maintenance work in the Hochstein ski area is delayed. To ensure operational safety, the chair clamps on the double lift have to be replaced, but the operator is left empty-handed. “The spare parts cannot be delivered until March 2025 at the earliest,” says Lienzer Bergbahnen AG. The lower part of the Schlossberg also remains closed.
“There will therefore be no skiing on the Hochstein in the 2024/25 winter season.” After all, the mountain should be constantly prepared for ski tours when there is fresh snow. The previous year in the Sternstein ski area showed what can happen when there is no snow.
Flood of cancellations due to ski resort closure in Tyrol: “Hard club that we were dealt”
“This is a huge catastrophe for us. And for us it looks like 80 percent of hotel guests have already canceled,” says hotelier Reinhold Tiefenbacher from Hotel Moosalm ORF. Gribelehof boss Margit Stotter complains in a similarly contrite manner: “Before the winter season, this is a hard club that we were dealt with.”
The local catering and tourism industry was informed at the end of September, much too late for some businesses. “You took away my existence in one fell swoop,” said Christoph Stotter from the Schlossberg Ski School Small newspaper. His company had already built and purchased special milling machines and rollers to prepare the toboggan run. “All for nothing.”
The consequences for the Sternalm are even more severe. On September 29th, Christian Schiessl and Heidi Bender closed forever. The previous year they had already lost 40,000 euros because the ski lifts at Hochstein did not go into operation as planned – after a renovation that cost 100,000 euros. “We would never have thought that the cable car wouldn’t run in winter,” says Schiessl Small newspaper.
“Our cash show in the summer”: Hochstein closure for mountain railways a “logical” decision
At Lienzer Bergbahnen AG, the decision about the Hochstein was nevertheless unanimous. Supervisory board chairman Franz Theurl explains to ORF: “Schlossberg is of course our cash show in summer and in winter it is Zetterfeld. If you look at it from a business perspective, the decision is a logical one. And if no money comes from the public sector to cover these losses, then we cannot continue to operate as is.”
The ski operation at Hochstein in Lienz has been in trouble for years anyway. The operating costs are so high that the number of skiers is barely enough to cover them – a danger that some ski areas in Austria are aware of. This year the number of guests at Hochstein will drop to zero, with even more serious consequences for the place. (moe)
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